eversouei and c



BIO-3,186. V PATENTED JULY 20, 1843. E. K. & G. EVERSOLE.

STEAM ENGINE.

n: mums FETERS on. rumoumc" wAsmNn'rON, o. c,

tartan STATES PA ENT L E. K. EvnRsoLn AND 0. nvnnsonn, on s r. LOUIS, nssoum.

' ,P'IS'ION AND STUFFING-IBOX or] Satannemies.

Specification of- Letters Patent No.1 3,186, datedHJ'h-ly 20," 1 843.

existing in the ordinary hemp, or other elastlc packing; by means of which 1mprove ment we are enabled to run an engine on the western waters for seven or eight days without its being necessary to take off the cylin der head for the purpose of repacking, a labor which has usually to be -performed about once in every twenty-four hours.

Our second improvement consists in the manner in which we construct the stuffing box of the cylinder-head through which the piston passes. It iswell known to allengineers of the classof steam-boatsused on the western waters, that it is not possible to keep thepistonrod at all times in a line with the axis of the cylinder. The form of such a boat is continually varying, from its own inavoidable motion; from theloading and unloadingfof it; and ifrom a. variety of presently described,

other circumstances. The inevitable result of this change of form is thatthe piston rod, as the piston descends, is made to bear with a varying and undue force against one, or

the other, side: of the stuffing. box, and is not only cramped in its motion, but produces friction, wear and leakage, to a very injurious extent. By means of whatwe denominate a vibrating stuffing box, to be we obviate. this difliculty altogether.

In the accompanying drawin Figure 1, is a section through the axis of the piston, A, A, being its main body, and 13, its cap, or follower. Fig. 2, is1a top View of main body of the piston, the cap, or follower,

being removed; and Fig. 3, is a vertical section through the follower alone; in this, there are formed four, six, or more, cylindrical cavities C, C, which are to receive the spiral springs D, D, that bear against their bottoms, a, a. The cylinders, C, C, with their contained springs, are received within cylindrical cavities E, E, formed for that" purpose in the body of the piston; 6,5, are screw bolts which are made fast' to the-bottom of the piston, and receive washers 0,; a, their upper ends, upon which the nuts 0?, cl, are screwed down.- The spiral springs are of such lengtl'i" as torise above pressed. upon with any required de greeof force by the nuts 1d, (Zr The piston is to: be packed the usual manner, while the follower is borne -up by the spiral springs; and it inay then be tightened lIi required degree by screwing down the nuts but. this is never to be done to such extent as to bring thefollower into contact with the 1 piston, it being necessary toiret'aiii theelastic laction of the springs. B ythis arrangement of the piston, we obtain a close, elastic, and

durable packing,and obviate that great loss of povver which results from the mode: of packing now in general use in this modeit is necessary to screw up the follower perfectly tight, toprevent its leaking, and in sure its continued action for a space of twenty four hours. When a piston is thus screwed up, on the present plan, its friction is so great that it requires nearly double the weight upon the wheel to move it, that is required upon our improved plan; and it may be very fairly estimated that during one half the time between the periods of packing, as ordinarily performed, this increased friction continues to a great extent, while during a large portion of the other half there is a loss of steam from the unavoidable wear of the packing. The com- .pensation resulting from the elasticity of the spiral springs will, on the contrary, under our arrangement cause it to operate with nearly perfect equality, for seven, or eight, days.

Fig. 4, is a perspective view of our improved stufiing box; and Fig. 5, a vertical section through the middle thereof. F, is the cap of the cylinder.

- G, is a stand of metal which may be secured to the cap by screws, or otherwise.

H, is the top plate of the stufling box, which has an opening I, through it adapted to the size of the piston.

J, is a box for containing the packing, the hole I, through which is also adapted to the sizeof the piston. The bottomof the box :J,,is. ground perfectly flat, as is also that part of the stand G, upon which it bears.

the top of the follower B, may" be i The hole K, in the stand G, and in the cylinder head is made larger than is necessary for the passing of the pistonsay an inch, more or less-as the box J, is to have a sliding, lateral motion on the stand. It is necessary, also, that a like freedom of motion laterally, should be given to the top plate, H, which makes part of the stufling box. The plate H, is attached to the stand G, by screw bolts f, f, the heads 9, g, of which bear against the spiral springs L, L; the bolts f, f, pass through the holes h, h, much larger than themselves in the stand G, so as to admit of the same lateral motion in the cap H, as is allowed to the box J.

The projecting neck 2', z, of the stand G, is surrounded by an elastic packing, which is kept in place in the following manner; 7', j, Fig. 5, is a divided ring which is borne up by set screws, 7:, 71;, against a portion of elastic packing Z, Z; and the box J, with its appendages, is thus enabled to slide easily on its seat without the danger of abrading the metal. By this arrangement of the stuffing box of the piston rod, as great an allowance may be made for the deviation of the cylinder in the line of its axis, as is likely to occur 7 under ordinary circumstances, and the cramping, wear, and leakage, so frequent and 1n ur1ous 1n thls part of the engine, are effectually guarded against.

Having thus, fully described the nature of our improvements in the steam engine, and shown the operation of the same, what we claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The manner in which we construct our elastic piston, by securing the main body thereof and the follower together, by means of screw bolts passing through spiral springs, under an arrangement of parts substantially the same with that herein described, so that the follower shallliave a yielding motion to and fro, in the manner, and for the purpose, above made known.

2. We claim the constructing of the stuffing box of the piston rod, so as to allow of a lateral motion to the same, so far as to compensate for any ordinary deviation of the cylinder from its correct position, such lateral motion being attained by an arrangement of the respective parts substantially as above set forth.

ELIJAH K. EVERSOLE. CYRUS EVERSOLE.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL MANNING, I. B. EVERSOLE. 

